[Sca-cooks] Period or no?

[Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius]

Also sprach Sandra Kisner:
>>>If I give you some basic instructions for a modern hamburger, Take 
>>>a bread roll. Slice it and put inside a patty of grilled, ground 
>>>meat. Top with some cheese and lettuce and feel free to make 
>>>changes to suit your taste.
>>>
>>>Now, an Australian may likely add a slice of beetroot. But an 
>>>American is unlike to ever consider doing that. Does the beetroot 
>>>taste good on a hamburger? Maybe. I'm reserving judgment.
>>
>>I've never tried it in that context, but I figure it's just another 
>>pickle. Some people might not even notice, if they weren't so busy 
>>enjoying the culture shock aspect.
>>
>>>  But apparently the Australians think it does.
>>
>>And/or perhaps developed this tradition when cucumber pickles were 
>>scarce, for whatever reason.
>
>This is actually yet another example of cultural assumptions; I've 
>known about the Australian addition of beetroot to hamburgers for a 
>long time, but never seen it myself.  It had never occurred to me 
>that the beets might be pickled (most uses I make of beets aren't). 
>Does anybody actually know from experience that they are (or 
>aren't)?  Why not roasted/grilled like the meat patty?

By all means, that's an assumption on my part, and one to which I 
attach no emotional involvement ;-).

Part of this assumption is based on the possibility that I may have 
heard somebody mention it being pickled for hamburger use, and part 
from a fair amount of beet-roasting experience. The vast majority of 
beets I've seen roasted were roasted whole and unpeeled, then peeled 
and sliced before use. It generally takes a lot longer than it does 
to grill, broil, or saute a hamburger, which suggests to me 
additional cooking equipment (say, an oven, or keeping your charcoal 
or wood fire going a lot longer than you would otherwise) or some 
amount of pre-prep, which seems like more trouble than most people 
will go to. Because they're so full of sugar, I can't imagine them 
being peeled, sliced and grilled from a raw state (they'd tend to 
burn, stick, and break up, I think). This most likely brings us back 
to some kind of canned, jarred, or other commercial product.

Adamantius
...who loves beets in all forms, with the complete and unequivocal 
exception of Harvard Beets, which clearly illustrate the Puritan Work 
Ethic: Work hard, become sufficiently wealthy so that there is 
_always_ an alternative to Harvard Beets, which is a sign of God's 
Favor, for which you are rewarded by never having to eat Harvard 
Beets again. But keep them around anyway, just in case you fall out 
of favor...


-- 
  "Why don't they get new jobs if they're unhappy -- or go on Prozac?"
	-- Susan Sheybani, assistant to Bush campaign spokesman Terry 
Holt, 07/29/04